The present invention relates to a contacting unit for card-shaped support elements of electronic components with a housing comprising an insertion slot for the support elements (generally called cards) in which housing a printed circuit board is arranged which has contacting elements for the electronic components and is connected to a contact field, especially one embodied according to the PCMCIA standard, arranged at one side of the housing. The housing is provided laterally with a cutout for an insertion chip card.
In the field of computer technology multimedia applications have a steadily growing market share. Accordingly, conventional personal computers must be prepared for such applications which allow the user to process music, to view movies, to individualize video pictures with respective processing programs or to play games. A medium known in the art for retrofitting personal computers for such multimedia applications is the use of card-shaped support elements with electronic components, for example, multimedia cards (MMC) which comprise a semi conductor chip, for example, having 16, 64, 256 and more megabit.
Such card-shaped support elements have contact fields at their end faces and/or upper surfaces and are insertable into contacting units where they are electrically contacted and integrated into the data circuit of the personal computer. The contact fields for contacting a chip are also insertable into the contacting units that especially function as read units. Furthermore, combinations of such card systems are known whereby, for example, at the same time a PCMCIA and a chip card are inserted into a corresponding contacting unit. Known card-shaped support elements are especially embodied according to PCMCIA standard and comprise accordingly a standardized matrix-like connecting field and IC circuits of different design. Such cards can function as memory expansion cards, processing unit cards, modem cards, etc. They can be contacted in the contacting unit with a corresponding pin matrix and are inserted into the insertion slot of, for example, a personal computer for this purpose.
In the special multimedia application area, the chips of the multimedia cards are loaded with programs during manufacturing and, optionally, they are provided with single use write memories or reusable memory units. The multimedia card is a serial system and is thus stackable (like CD changers) for block memory systems. For example, packaged digital data are stored on multi media cards and are retrieved with a contact system with metallic surfaces without requiring movable parts. The MMC serves as a storage medium for software, dictionaries, encyclopedias, street maps, travel guides, games, music etc. and can be used in connection with PCs, hand-held electronic devices, organizers, car radios, notebook computers etc. which are provided with a reading device. The connection to the reading device is established via the aforementioned contacting unit.
The known contacting units can no longer fulfill the technical requirements for such specific applications. It is only suggested in the prior art to provide a PCMCIA card in the area facing away from the contact field with a cutout for a chip card whereby, however, this arrangement does not provide noteworthy variability (European Application 0 552 078 A1). According to German gebrauchsmuster 295 05 678.9 it is thus suggested to provide the disclosed contacting unit with a second (additional) insertion area in the form of a lateral slot for receiving a so-called plug-in-card so that with the contacting unit in the form of a PCMCIA card it is possible to introduce two additional chip cards into the reading device of the computer. However, this embodiment of a contacting unit also can provide only a limited range of applications.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve a contacting unit of the aforementioned kind such that a wide range of applications of card-shaped support elements with electronic components can be combined with one another, whereby especially functional combinations are desired which serve to provide safety means or to allow access, respectively, deny access in order to prevent unauthorized use. At the same time, the design of variable large memory structures should be possible with minimal economical and constructive expenditure.